Tamping instrument for railways-ties.



No. 652,!95. Patented lune l9, I900. F. SHEPPARD.

TAMPING INSTRUMENT FOR RAILWAY TIES. 7

Application filed Feb. 13, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

FRANK SHEPPARD, OFEAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

TAMPING INSTRUMENT FOR RAILWAY-TIES.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,195, dated J une 0 PI ii fi February 13, 1900- Serial No. 5,090 (NO model-l To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SHEPPARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Tamping Instrument for Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in tamping instruments for railway-ties.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of tamping implements for railway-ties and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one which will possess great strength and durability and which will be capable of being readily engaged with a cross-tie to position it properly with relation to the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed outin the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tamping instrument constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the same arranged on a cross-tie. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the pivoted cross-tieen gaging hooks.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figu res of the drawings.

l and 2 designate bars or levers composed of metal shanks or inner sections 3 and 4. and outer wooden sections'5, having their inner ends fitting in suitable sockets 6 of the adjacent ends of the inner sections or shanks. The metal inner sections or shanks 3'and 4:, which are provided between their ends with slight bends 7 to extend their outer portions upward, are pivoted together by a bolt 8, passing through perforations of the inner terminals of the levers, the shank or section 3 being preferably bifurcated at 9 to receive the adjacent end of the other shank or section 4, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

' The levers 1 and 2 are provided with depending tamping or thrust heads 10, formed integral with the metal inner shanks or sections and tapered, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings,and convergingdownwardly and inwardly, whereby they are adapted for tam ping the beds of railway-ties, as will be readily understood. The inner sections or shanks and the tamping or thrust heads are preferably constructed of malleable cast-iron; but they may be made of any other suitable ma- -terial, as will be readily apparent.

hen the device is in operation, the tamping or thrust heads are located at opposite sides of a cross-tie, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, and by oscillating the outer or wooden portions of the levers the tamping or thrust heads are caused to pack and tamp the ballast beneath the crosstie, so that the road-bed will be perfectly solid.

The-device is properly positioned with relation to a cross-tie by means of a pair of substantially L-shaped hooks 11, mounted on the pivot-bolt of the levers and provided at their lower engaging ends with spurs adapted to be embedded in the opposite sides of a cross-tie, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper pivoted ends of the hooks are located at the outer sides or faces of the levers and are provided. with eyes for the reception of the pivot bolts. The hooks are adapted to be engaged with the sides of a cross-tie by manipulatingthe levers which carry the tamping or thrust heads, and the said hooks are provided with a pair of oppositely-disposed upwardly-extending arms 12, terminating at their upper ends in horizontal lugs 13, which are adapted to engage.

the upper edges of the inner sections or shanks of the levers, whereby the hooks will be sup ported by the said levers. The levers are adapted when swung upward into engagement with the lugs of the arms of the hooks to disengage the latter from the sides of a cross-tie, and by manipulating levers in this manner the hooks may be sufficiently spread to engage them with and disengage them from a cross-tie, and it is unnecessary to operate the hooks by hand. The hooks are adjustable, as will be clearly apparent, and they are adapted for engaging ties of varying widths.

It will be seen that the tamping implement for railway-ties is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that the pivoted hooks, which form a clamping device, hold the levers fulcrumed in proper position on a beneath the tie.

' thrust heads.

cross-tie, and that as the levers are raised and lowered the material of the road-bed is pushed It will also be apparent that the hooks are engaged with and disengaged from the cross-tie by manipulating the levers without handling the hooks themselves.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, such as varying the form of the tamping or \Vhat is claimed is 1. A tamping implement for railway-ties comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected at their inner ends, tamping or thrust heads rigid with and carried by the lovers, and a pair of hooks mounted on the pivot of the said levers and located in the space between the tamping-heads and arranged to be operated by the said levers, whereby they are engaged with and disengaged from the sides of a cross-tie, substantially as described.

2. A tamping implement for railway-ties comprising a pair of levers, tamping or thrust heads rigid with and carried by the levers, a

pair of pivoted hooks for engaging the opposite sides of a cross-tie, and arms extending from the hooks and engaging the levers, whereby the latter are adapted to operate the hooks, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A tamping implement for railway-ties comprising a pair of levers pivoted together at their inner ends and provided between their ends with tamping-heads, and a pair of hooks pivoted together at the inner ends of the levers and provided with arms extending above and arranged to be engaged by the levers, substantially asand for the purpose de scribed.

In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANI: SHEPPARD. 

